←back to thread

I spent two weeks delivering for Uber Eats and made $4.40 per hour

(www.breakit.se)
383 points imartin2k | 5 comments | 13 May 17 10:08 UTC | HN request time: 0.001s | source
Show context
fiatjaf ◴[13 May 17 11:42 UTC] No.14330452[source]▶
I don't understand what is wrong with Uber Eats charging whatever price they want to charge. If $4.4 is too low just don't work for them. There are probably people for which this is a good price. If not, it's Uber Eats problem, not yours.
replies(9): >>14330479 #>>14330508 #>>14330552 #>>14330563 #>>14330623 #>>14330949 #>>14331012 #>>14331032 #>>14331385 #
moxious ◴[13 May 17 11:51 UTC] No.14330479[source]▶
It's not black and white. What looks to you like the free choice of people choosing to work for $4.4 may look to others like a forced situation. What I think you're missing is that your assumption that everyone can freely choose and has alternatives is clearly mistaken.
replies(1): >>14330502 #
reustle ◴[13 May 17 11:58 UTC] No.14330502[source]▶
> may look to others like a forced situation. What I think you're missing is that your assumption that everyone can freely choose and has alternatives is clearly mistaken.

Could you please elaborate? I don't exactly follow. Nobody is forcing them to work for Uber. If what you mean is they have bills to pay, etc, it's not like Uber can just magically decide to pay $9/hr, they will likely need to cut most of the jobs at that point anyway.

replies(3): >>14330553 #>>14330618 #>>14330645 #
1. toomuchtodo ◴[13 May 17 12:14 UTC] No.14330553[source]▶
Uber takes advantage of a lack of (or poor quality) social safety nets. Like Walmart. Its exploitative.
replies(2): >>14330591 #>>14331115 #
2. reustle ◴[13 May 17 12:21 UTC] No.14330591[source]▶
But is that the fault of Uber (or Walmart)? Isn't them having a crap job better than no job? Yea it's not awesome that the pay is low, but at least they are employing some people. If the pay was higher they probably couldn't​ create the same service at a sustainable price point?
replies(2): >>14330793 #>>14332541 #
3. troupe ◴[13 May 17 14:21 UTC] No.14331115[source]▶
So would you describe Sweden as a place with poor quality social safety nets?

According to the article people who want to deliver have at least two choices and one pays significantly more than the other because Uber doesn't have enough volume right now and the volume they do have tends to go to people who have been delivering for some time.

The article says that with Foodora you can make more money starting out, but they schedule when you work. With Uber you just work whenever you want. People trying to decide which service they want to work for are going to use those factors to make a decision. I think it is hard to claim it is exploitative when people clearly have a choice where they work. Keep in mind Sweden doesn't have particularly high unemployment either, so there are a lot of other options out there in addition to these two.

replies(1): >>14332523 #
4. Fnoord ◴[13 May 17 19:19 UTC] No.14332523[source]▶
> So would you describe Sweden as a place with poor quality social safety nets?

No, but a proposition like that doesn't address the details.

Reading through this thread its clear that Sweden doesn't have minimum wage; they have strong unions instead (FWIW, I don't see how those are mutually exclusive). Problem is that unions are circumvented partly or completely by freelance constructions like the one we're discussing (another example would be MLM constructions). That needs to be addressed, by law enforcement or lawmakers (politicians). In order to achieve that, publicity like this may aid that goal.

5. Fnoord ◴[13 May 17 19:24 UTC] No.14332541[source]▶
The 'at least they get paid' argument is the one also being used by those who order takeaway food, and those who buy blood diamonds, blood gold, and entire clothes industry alike.

Nevermind the fact these people work in terrible conditions. Nevermind the fact these people work with chemicals which are unhealthy. Nevermind the fact these people ignore traffic regulations because they need to arrive on time. Nevermind the fact these people are children who go down in dangerous mines with gas which can also implode at any time.

It is a fallacy. The real solution to the issue is far more simple: let those who desire takeaway food (or who desire diamonds, gold, or clothes) pay a fair price, so that the workers get paid a fair price.